Sunday, July 13, 2025

My Wimbledon top 10

Here are my top 10 Wimbledon happenings, in ascending order:

10. Exceeding your worst expectations: It was a pain to have ESPN cover Wimbledon in the U.S. In addition to the painfully bad commentating (nothing new), the app had to be constantly refreshed or it would display a message that the match I was trying to watch wasn't available in my area or package. And breaking into the women's doubles final to show us ATP players practicing was also offensively on brand for the network. And on top of all that, ESPN is still using the promotional voice-over of the man saying "WimbleDEN."

9. Slovakian spirit: Unseeded Mia Pohankova of the Slovak Republic became the 2025 junior girls' singles champion when she defeated 6th seed Julieta Pareja 6-3, 6-1 in Saturday's final. Pohankova, who is 16, is the second consecutive Slovakian player to win the title. In doubles, the USA's Thea Frodin, playing with Pareja (also from the USA), defeated Kristina Penickova (USA) and the Czech Repubic's Vendula Valdmannova to win the championship.

8. Remember me?: Emma Raducanu has been a "fan" punching bag for some time now, but it was kind of hard to punch her at Wimbledon (although I'm sure that didn't stop some people): The 2021 U.S. Open champion won her first round, then upset 2023 champion Marketa Vondrousova in the seconde round. She then lost to world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who defeated her 7-6 (6), 6-4, which is a very respectable losing scoreline. Raducanu played quite well; it was too bad that she didn't make it to the second week.

7. New faces: We became so accustomed to Diede de Groot's winning just about everything that--when she had to take some time off in order to undergo hip surgery, rehab and working her way back on the tour--it was a bit of an adjustment. Of course, Yui Kamiji--always second to de Groot in results--was the natural (if likely temporary) successor. And indeed, the Japanese player won both the Australian Open and the French Open. 

But Wimbledon was different in every way. 3rd seed Li Xiaohui--the woman who ended de Groot's 145-match win streak--defeated de Groot in the quarterfinals. Li then lost to top seed Kamiji in the semifinals, then Kamiji lost to 4th seed Wang Ziying in the final. Wang got as far as the semifinals in the Australian Open, but was defeated by Aniek van Koot.                                                

6. Believe in yourself!: Conchita Martinez and Mirra Andreeva turned the tables in a hilarious way at this event. Once Andreeva was out of the tournament, she became her famous coach's coach in the Legends competition, and she put her whole heart into it. There are a number of prize videos of Andreeva's coaching, and I can't stop watching them.

5.  When you can't catch a break: Last year, Barbora Krejcikova won Wimbledon. But things didn't go so well after that. She was out for six months with a back injury, she was ill, and then she had to withdraw from Eastbourne (after saving match point in her two matches) because of a thigh injury. She arrived in London full of the usual Krejcikova spirit, defeating the talented Alexandra Eala, then also winning her second round.

But during the third set of her third round match against Emma Navarro, the eternally calm Krejcikova appeared to be ill, and at one point, she went to the back of the court and wept. Then she pulled herself together and won the next game, which was nothing short of amazing, but she lost the match. It turned out that the Czech star had contracted a virus, and she was sick for several days. 

4. Time to add another shelf to the trophy case: Katerina Siniakova spends a lot of time in the winner's circle. She has won ten women's doubles titles (seven of them with Krejcikova), and now, she has also won a mixed doubles title. Siniakova and Sem Verbeek won the 2025 title, defeating Luisa Stefani and Joe Salisbury in the final. 

3: They were just here a moment ago: The first two rounds of this year's tournament were filled with carnage. 2nd seed Coco Gauff, 3rd seed Jessica Pegula, 5th seed Zheng Qinwen, and two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova all went out in the first round, as did three of the warmup tournament champions. In the second round, 4th seed and 2024 runner-up Jasmine Paolini and 6th seed Madison Keys were upset, and 2023 champion Marketa Vondrousova was also defeated.

2. Veronika gets her trophy: In 2021, Veronika Kudermetova and Elena Vesnina (making a brief comeback to the tour) lost the Wimbledon final to Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens. This year, Kudermetova--playing with partner Elise Mertens (the no. 8 seeds)--defeated 4th seeds Hsieh and AΔΌona Ostapenko 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 to win the title. It was an entertaining match, and the last two points were stunning. This is Mertens' fifth major doubles title; she won two of those titles with Hsieh. This is Kudermetova's first major title.

1. Bagels with a side of strawberries: Iga Swiatek, throughout her career, has had an issue with grass courts. The Polish star, who likes to have a little time to set up her shots, couldn't find that time on grass, and she appeared to have developed a mindset that she needed that time. But mindsets can be changed, and so can serves, and strategies. Now working with coach Wim Fissette, Swiatek has improved her serve, lifted her comfort level on grass, and very obviously changed her mindset. 

Known for dispensing bagel sets to her opponents, the former world number 1 saved her signature beat-down tactic for the final, defeating 13th seed Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0. Anisimova, who had upset world number 1 Aryna Sabaenka in the semifinals, simply wasn't herself in the final. She was undoubtedly affected by the occasion (she had never before contested a major final), but she also appeared to be physically and mentally low on fuel. On the other hand, Swiatek was very much herself--with upgrades. 

Swiatek has now raised her ranking to number 3 in the world, and Anisimova enters the top 10 for the first time, as number 7. My educated guess is that the psychological boost of winning Wimbledon when she thought--for so long--that she couldn't (other than as a junior), will re-set Swiatek's already remarkable career, and make her more dangerous than ever.

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Saturday, July 12, 2025

Swiatek opens new bakery in London, complete with large plate

At Wimbledon, people eat strawberries and cream. Except for Iga Swiatek--Iga eats strawberries with pasta. However, strawberries on a bagel may be the next trend: At long last, the now-six time major champion opened one of her famous bakeries in London. Probably no one was prepared, however, for the flashy significance of this act--Swiatek won the Wimbledon final by defeating her opponent, Amanda Anisimova, 6-0, 6-0. 

Not since Steffi Graf defeated Natasha Zvereva 6-0, 6-0 in the 1988 French Open final, has a woman served a double-bagel match in a major final. Zvereva, seeded 13th, had upset 2nd seed Martina Navratiilova in the round of 16. Anisimova, seeded 13th, had upset world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals. This demonstrates not only that context is important, but also that--in tennis--the past is the past. Whoever you defeated in the last match or whatever point you just played are now history.

Winning long, challenging matches in a draw is a double-edged sword. A player gains a lot of confidence from such a win (or wins), but the player's body, including her mental resources, can also just fade away--I've seen this happen several heartbreaking times. It was clear, from the beginning of the championship match, that Anisimova's resources were not what they had been earlier in the tournament. Add to that the fact that this was her first major final, which has to be very stressful. And add to that the fact that her opponent was on a tear such as we haven't seen from her in a while. 

The match lasted under an hour, and, during that time, Swiatek could do almost no wrong, while Anisimova could do little that was right. Anisimova had first and second serve win percentages of 26 and 35, which says it all. She also made 28 unforced errors and hit only six winners. It didn't even appear to be Anisimova on the court, but rather, a slim shadow of the woman who had knocked out Linda Noskova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka. 

Swiatek, as is her way, dictated play from the first moment, and her newly improved serve was on display throughout the match. The Polish star got 78% of her first serves in, and 72% of those were winning serves. Swiatek's victory gives her six wins in six major finals; she is the first tennis player from Poland to win a major singles championship. And to make all this even more dramatic, today's final marked Swiatek's 100th major match victory.

For several years, it's been clear to both Swiatek and tennis observers that the four-time French Open champion likes the clay because it gives her time to set up her shots. Swiatek won Wimbledon as a junior, but--as she pointed out in press the other day--by the time the juniors took to the court, the grass had worn down considerably--it was a surface that she liked. And while many wrote her off as a potential Wimbledon champion, Swiatek was on a mission. She hired coach Wim Fissette, who set about making some adjustments, which included improving Swiatek's serve (which hadn't been bad at all).

After the match, Swiatek told ESPN that people should "leave me alone," when it comes to her career goals and progress. Amen, sister. 

As for Anisimova--who was also smart enough not to listen to other people, and who chose the only path that she knew would save her career--does have some takeaways other than the terrible scoreline of the champoionship match. For one thing, she electrified the crowed throughout the tournament, and for another--she'll enter the top 10 next week.

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Thursday, July 10, 2025

"Comeback" is the theme of the day at Wimbledon

Serious tennis fans are familiar with Amanda Anisimova's story: She blasted into tennis fame as a 17-year-old in 2019 when she reached the semifinals of the French Open, then, in 2023, citing burnout, she took an indefinite leave from the tour. Eight months later, she returned. In 2022, Anisimova reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon, and today, she reached the final. 

Anisimova, seeded 13th, did what few can do these days--she upset world number 1 and top seed Aryna Sabalenka, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. Sabalenka was going for a third major final in a row; she made the finals of both the Australian Open and the French Open, though she lost both of them. Sabalenka can hit a lot of players off the court, but she couldn't do that with Anisimova, who is also a big hitter, with a killer backhand. 

Sabalenka hit 31 winners and made 37 unforced errors. Anisimova hit 30 winners and made 42 unforced errors. But those numbers tell only part of the story. Anisimova saved four set points in the second set, but Sabalenka prevailed on her fifth set point, then went on to break her opponent in the first game of the third set. Anisimova broke back, then played her way to a third set score of 5-2. But Sabalenka broke back, then held, but it was the 13rh seed, who--on her fourth match point--won the match.

In the second semifinal of the day, 8th seed Iga Swiatek overwhelmed Belinda Bencic. The former world number 1 took charge from the first game; the only break points that Bencic saw appeared in the second set, and she was unable to convert them. Swiatek hit 26 winners and made only 13 unforced errors. She defeated Bencic 6-12, 6-0. 

Given that scoreline, and the way that Swiatek played, it seems odd to apply the term "comeback" to her performance at Wimbledon. But Swiatek, who has won five majors and held the world number 1 spot for a long time, failed to win a tournament after her 2024 French Open victory (her fourth), and she failed to win the 2025 French Open. But now, not only has the Polish star made it to the final of another major--it's the major in which she is generally considered to be at her weakest. 

Paths to the final:

AMANDA ANISIMOVA 
round 1--def. Yulia Putintseva
round 2--def. Renata Zarazua
round 3--def. Dalma Galfi
round of 16--def. Linda Noskova (30)
quarterfinals--def. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
semifinals--def. Aryna Sabalenka (1)

IGA SWIATEK
round 1--def. Polina Kudermetova
round 2-- def. Caty McNally
round 3--def. Danielle Collins
round of 16--Clara Tauson (23)
quarterfinals--def. Liudmila Samsonova (19)
semifinals--def. Belinda Bencic 

And--we already have a champion! Katerina Siniakova, with partner Sem Verbeek, defeated Luisa Stefani and Joe Salisbury 7-6 (3), 7-6 (3) to win the mixed doubles title. Siniakova has won ten women's doubles titles; this is her first mixed doubles title. 

In the wheelchair singles quarterfinals, Li Xiaohui defeated defending champion Diede De Groot  7-6 (6), 6-4. It was Li who ended de Groot's 145-match win streak at the BNP Paribas World Team Cup event in 2024. de Groot underwent hip surgery last year and is working on making her way back to the top of the sport.

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Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Just here for the towels--Iga stays cool and dry

It's a running joke at Wimbledon that Iga Swiatek "steals" the official tournament player towels after her matches. A collector by nature--legos, major tennis titles, etc.--the Polish star collected a towel today that has eluded her for some time. For the first time, Swiatek has advanced to the Wimbledon semifinals. She defeated Liudmila Samsonova 6-2, 7-5 in today's first* quarterfinal.

Samsonova is a talented, big-hitting player who, until this week, had never made it past the fourth round of a major. And--given Swiatek's career difficulties for the past several months, and her history of struggling somewhat on grass--this looked, on paper, like a big chance for Samsonova to surge forward. But the Swiatek we've seen in London this year has looked more comfortable and confident, and she was able to easily take the first set, 6-2. The second set was much more competitive, and fans got to see more of Samsonova's game. The Russian player broke Swiatek twice, but--as close as the set was--Swiatek won it and advanced to the semifinals.

*And speaking of running jokes: Wimbledon scheduled both women's semifinal matches at approximately the same time, which is inexcusable (and right on brand for Wimbledon).

In the other semifinal, another "first" occurred. For the first time in her career, Belinda Bencic has reached the Wimbledon semifinals. Bencic had a tough opponent in Mirra Andreeva, who not only had the home advantage, but also the advantage of her considerable talent and early success. But the Swiss star, who gave birth to a daughter last year, was off of the tour for thirteen months, but has made a rather smooth re-entry, reaching the round of 16 at the 2025 Australian Open, then going on to win the title in Abu Dhabi. Unfortunately, Bencic sustained an injury in the spring.

The Olympic gold medal winner won her very close (7-6, 7-6) quarterfinal by serving cleverly, keeping the ball low, and remaining strategic throughout the match.

Singles semifinal draw:

Aryna Sabalenka (1) v. Amanda Anisimova (13)
Belinda Bencic v. Iga Swiatek (8)A

Anisimova has a 5-3 record against Sabalenka; they have never played each other on grass. Swiatek has a 3-1 record against Anisimova. One of her victories occurred in the 2023 round of 16 at Wimbledon.

The semifinals have also been set in doubles:

Kateriina Siniakova/Taylor Townsewnd (1) v. Hsieh Su wei/ AloΕ„ae Ostapenko (4)
Olivia Gadecki/Desirae Krawczyk v. Veronika Kudermetova/Elise Mertens (8) 

Siniakova is already in the doubles final. She and Sem Verbeek will face Luisa Stefani and Joe Salisbury for the title. Siniakova and Townsend defeated Stefani and Temea Babos in their quarterfinal match.

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Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Sabalenka survives Siegemund

Eight years ago, Laura Siegemund defeated Venus Williams 6-4, 6-7, 7-5 in the second round in Charleston. Later, in press, Williams remarked that the match "...could be the best match she’ll ever play in her life." I have no idea how that match rates with Siegemund. That same year, she won Stuttgart, defeating Zhang Shuai, 8th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, 2nd seed Karolina Pliskova, 4th seed Simona Halep, and Kiki Mladenovic. Unfortunately, I can't recall whether one or more of those matches was exceptional.

If Siegemund had played the third set in today's Wimbledon quarterfinal the way that she played the first set, she would surely have proven Williams wrong. Few players are as good at flummoxing big hitters as Siegemund is, and she went about flummoxing top seed Aryna Sabalenka with her drop shots, chips, line-skidding shots, and tricky serves in an almost businesslike way--until she didn't. 

Siegemund pulled all of her tricks successfully in the opening set, and in the second set--as one would expect--Sabalenka improved her service game, while--at the same time--her opponent's serve was less effective than it had been earlier. It was also at this point that Siegemund began to make repeated backhand errors.

In the final set, Siegemund, after a while, appeared to be suffering from fatigue. Despite going up 3-1 and--a bit later--4-3, she wasn't able to get far enough ahead of Sabalenka to defeat her. She said later that she had indeed become tired, and that she didn't take the risks that she should have taken. It should also be noted that Sabalenka is an excellent doubles player and has some net savvy of her own.

After the match, Sabalenka said that of her opponent's game: "It's a smart game. She's really making everyone work against her....It doesn't matter if you're a big server, a big hitter, you have to work. You have to run, you have to earn the win. I didn't want her to see that I was annoyed or anything by her--even if I was a little bit at some points--but I was trying not to give her that energy."

Sabalenka won the match, which lasted just shy of three hours, and was highly entertaining. Her 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory puts her in the semifinals, in which she will play 13th seed Amanda Anisimova, who defeated Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1, 7-6 (9) in the second quarterfinal of the day.

Anisimova has always impressed with her tennis. Ever since her run to the semifinals of the French Open in 2019, when she was just 17 years old, she's been someone to watch. In 2022, she reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals. Her career was interrupted, however, when she made a smart decision to leave the tour for a while in order to strengthen her mental health. It's been a tough climb back up the rankings, but today, Anisimova reached the semifinals of Wimbledon.

The first set was all about Anisimova, who needed less than half an hour to win the first set 6-1 over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. However, the Russian player, a tour veteran who has played her share of big matches, made the second set more competitive, though Anisimova led at 4-2. At 5-3, when Anisimova served for the match, she was broken. Pavlyuchenkova saved two match points and forced a tiebreak, in which she held four set points. She then saved another match point, but Anisimova prevailed.

There was a major upset in doubles today. 2nd seeds Gaby Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe were upset, 7-5, 7-6 (4), by 8th seeds Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens. And in the first round of wheelchair singles, Diede De Groot defeated Lucy Shuker 6-1, 6-1.

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Monday, July 7, 2025

Two Russians, two U.S.A. players, and one Iga remain in the draw

The Wimbledon round of 16 was completed today, with minimal drama, except for one match, and especially one final game. Belinda Bencic, after making nine tries, finally advanced to the quarterfinals, with a 7-6, 6-4 win over Ekaterina Alexandrova. Alexandrova saved five match points, and the final game was pretty much a microcosm of the match, which most commentators would refer to as a "roller coaster." 

Mirra Andreeva easily defeated a somewhat flat Emma Navarro in straight sets. In the on-court interview after the match, Andreeva said that her coach, Conchita Martinez, would be playing in the Legends competition, and that she, Mirra, would be Martinez's coach. "I think that's my time to get back at her," Andreeva said, while Martinez was cracking up in the stands. 

Iga Swiatek defeated a somewhat sick Clara Tauson. The Danish player took a medical timeout after the first set, but she was obviously not herself after that (much like Barbora Krejcikova a few days ago). This is Swiatek's second time to advance to the Wimbledon quarterfinals. 

Also today, Liudmila Samsonova defeated Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 7-5, 7-5. I believe that we'll be seeing more and more of Bouzas Maneiro in the future.

In yesterday's round of 16 play, the indefatigable Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova defeated Sonay Kartal, and advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time in nine years. Laura Siegemund defeated Solana Sierra, and Amanda Anisimova defeated Linda Noskova, the last surviving Czech in the draw.

Top seed Aryna Sabalenka was tested, not surprisingly, by her former doubles partner, Elise Mertens. Mertens gets better with age, and she gave Sabalenka all that she could handle. Nevertheless, the world number one prevailed with a 6-4, 7-6 victory.

Here is the quarterfinal draw:

Aryna Sabalenka (1) v. Laura Siegemund
Amanda Anisimoa (13) v. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
Mirra Andreeva (7) v. Belinda Bencic
Iga Swiatek (8) v. Liudmila Samsonova (19)

Three of the above-listed women are tried-and-true tour veterans. Siegemund, who is 37 years old, left the tour in 2012 because of some torn ligaments. She earned a degree in psychology and she also obtained her trainer's certificate. Siegemund didn't believe that she would return to the tour full-time, but she did. The German player, a drop shot/lob trickster (like her 37-year-old countrywoman, Tajana Maria) is capable of making her opponents' lives miserable. But if Swiatek serves like she did in the second set of her match against Tauson, the trickster will have her work cut out for her.

Pavlyuchenkova, who is 34, was the junior number 1 in the world, back in the day. I remember the day that I met her, many years ago. I just happened to be walking by the platform where the draw was about to take place in Charleston, and she saw me, walked over, put out her hand, and said, "hi, I'm Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova."  Of course, I already knew who she was, but I was impressed by her persona. 

The Russian veteran was diagnosed with Lyme Disease in February, and has spent the last few months working to recover her form. 

Then there's 28-year-old Belinda Bencic (also a junior world number 1), who left the tour for six months last year after she gave birth to a daughter. Bencic, who won Olympic gold in 2021, said that she "always got stuck in the fourth round" before. 

In doubles, the big upset so far occurred in the second round, when 3rd seeds Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini were defeated by Chan Hao-Ching and Barbora Krejcikova, who gave their opponents a walkover in the next round.  

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Saturday, July 5, 2025

Wimbledon will get a new champion in 2025

< p>Today, an obviously ill, running-on-fumes, Barbora Krejickova was unable to take the next step in defending her 2024 Wimbledon title. There were, in fact, moments in the third set of her third round match against 10th seed Emma Navarro that she was unable to take the next step--period. Krejcikova took a medical time-out, but that didn't help. Known for her calm demeanor on court, the defending champion stood and wept at one point near the end of the match. She then skillfully served and won the ninth game of the set. But that miracle surge was short-lived--Navarro defeated her 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

This victory makes Navarro the official Czceh champion-killer of 2025 Wimbledon. Earlier, she defeated two-time champion Petra Kvitova.

Yesterday, Emma Raducanu gave top seed Aryna Sabalenka everything she could handle. Sabalenka won, 7-6(6), 6-4, in a match that was very exciting to watch. 

6th seed and Australian Open champion Madison Keys didn't fare as well; she was beaten in straight sets by one of the tour's veteran tricksters, Laura Siegemund. The German player sliced and lobbed Keys repeatedly, not allowing her to develop any kind of rhythem. Siegemund's 6-3, 6-3 victory puts her into the Wimbledon round of 16 for the first time in her career.

Also gone is 11th seed and 2022 champion Elena Rybakina, defeated 7-6(6), 6-3 by Clara Tauson.  

Dayana Yastremska has looked very good at this year's tournament; she knocked out 2nd seed Coco Gauff in the first round. But today, Yastremska was defeated 6-1, 2-6, 6-3 by an under-the-radar Jessica Bouzas Maneiro. And 16th seed Elena Svitolina, who has historically done quite well in London, was upset today by the always dangerous 24th seed, Elise Mertens. 

With Petra Kvitova, Marketa Vondrousova and Barbora Krejcikova out, all of the former champions (all Czechs) have been eliminated from play. Thee will be a first-time champion, and--of course--all eyes are on world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka. Sabalenka lost the Australian Open final to Madison Keys, then she lost the French Open final to Coco Gauff. So far, at Wimbledon, she has defeated notable qualifier Carson Branstine, a very in-form Marie Bouzkova and Raducanu.

Here is the round of 16 draw:

Aryna Sabalenka (1) v. Elise Mertens (24)
Solana Sierra (LL) v. Laura Siegemund
Linda Noskova (30) v. Amanda Anisimova (13)
Sonay Kartal vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
Mirra Andreeva (7) v. Emma Navarro (10)
Ekaterina Alexandrova (18) v. Belinda Bencic
Iga Swiatek (8) v. Clara Tauson (23)
Liudmila Samsonova (19) v. Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 

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Tuesday, July 1, 2025

First round blues: 2nd seed, 3rd seed, 5th seed, and beloved champion all out of Wimbledon

Today, 3rd seed and Bad Homburg champion Jessica Pegula lost in the first round at Wimbledon, defeated 6-2, 6-3 by Elisabetta Cocciaretto. Some upsets--when you apply reality to them--aren't that surprising; this one was. It took the Italian player, who is ranked number 116 in the world, less than an hour to send Pegula out of the tournament. Cocciaretto's strategic, aggressive play was just too much for Pegula.

But that wasn't all. Pegula's countrywoman, 2nd seed Coco Gauff, also lost in straight sets--to Dayana Yasmstremska, who defeated her 7-6, 6-1. This one, I found not as surprising--Yastremska has looked good lately, playing with more consistency. Yastremska and Gauff had played three times before, and Gauff had won all of those matches, which were played on clay.

Then there was 5th seed Zheng Qinwen, who was defeated 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 by Katerina Siniakova. On Saturday, in anticipation of this match, I wrote that "Zheng is the clear favorite, but Siniakova, an elite doubles player, knows her way around a grass court--and she's Czech." And there you have it.

As dramatic as those upsets were, the event of the day was the first-round defeat of wild card Petra Kvitova, the two-time Wimbledon champion who is retiring from pro tennis at the end of the season. Kvitova, who had decided to retire when she gave birth to her son, changed her mind and returned for one more year. She lost today to 10th seed Emma Navarro, who defeated her 6-3, 6-1. After she match achieved match point, Navarro--instead of celebrating--simply stood and applauded her opponent, as the crowd gave Petra a loud and extended send-off. Meanwhile, in the broadcasting booth, Martina Navratilova was in tears--and so was I. 

As a poet, I tend to avoid writing haikus; I don't know why. But I wrote one for Petra Kvitova several years ago, just as Wimbledon was about to begin, and I wrote another one when she returned to the tour unexpectedly early after having been attacked by a home invader. The perpetrator sliced her precious left hand and left some doctors thinking that her career was over, but she showed up in Paris and won her first round.

Today, I wrote one last haiku for her:

 (Yet Another) Haiku for Petra

Last look at the lawns
A champion walks away
Grass wet with our tears

Yesterday, we saw the 9th seed, Paula Badosa, go out, also. Badosa was defeated 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 by Katie Boulter of Great Britain. And two-time Wimbledon runner-up Ons Jabeur had to retire in her match against Viktoriya Tomova. 15th seed Karolina Muchova, a player who I think could win Wimbledon, also went out yesterday, to Wang Xinyu. This wasn't a surprise. Not only is Muchova playing with a one-handed backhand (she plays two-handed) to compensate for her ongoing wrist problem--Wang recently reached the Berlin final. To get there, she defeated Daria Kasatkina, 2nd seed Coco Gauff, 8th seed Paula Badosa (retired), and Liudmila Samsonova.

There's more: Queen's Club champion Tatjana Maria went out in the first round (def. by Katie Volynets) , as did Nottingham champion McCartney Kessler (def. by Marketa Vondrousova) and Eastbourne champion Maya Joint (def. by Liudmila Samsonova). 

Eastbourne runner-up Alex Eala faced defending champion Barbora Krejcikova and took the first set easily. But then Krejcikova appeared to turn on some type of switch and win the next two sets. In addition to hardly having any match play this season, the defending champion also recently sustained a right thigh injury and had to withdraw from Eastbourne.  

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Saturday, June 28, 2025

Challenges for Czechs as Wimbledon draws near

Last year, Barbora Krejcikova won Wimbledon. However, in November, she sustained a back injury that kept her off the tour for six months. She returned in May, and--as she was headed for the quarterfinals in Eastbourne earlier this month--she sustained a left hip injury and withdrew from the tournament. It sounds like this was a precautionary move, but--between the long break and the new injury--it isn't exactly a good time for Krejickova to compete in London.

Her countrywoman, the piece of dynamic art known as Karolina Muchova, has never won Wimbledon, but I certainly believe that she could. But Muchova's career has been wrecked, again and again, by a chronic wrist injury. The Czech player's temporary solution to that problem is her conversion to a one-handed backhand (which certainly suits her elegant game), but she hasn't had a lot of experience hitting her backhand with one hand, and--well, Wimbledon is almost here.

The other chronically injured Czech is Marketa Vondrousova (she's had two wrist surgeries), who won Wimbledon in 2023, and was the first unseeded woman to do so in history. Things look good for Vondrousova, however; she recently won Berlin, defeating the likes of Madison Keys, Diana Shnaider, Ons Jabeur, top seed and world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka, and Wang Xinyu. We can only hope that she stays healthy for the next couple of weeks.

It doesn't feel right to have this conversation without mentioning two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, who intended to retire after she had her baby, but has come back (with a wild card) for one more year. I don't think that anyone expects Kvitova to be in the conversation for Wimbledon, but it would be nice to see her do well there. One way or the other, just having her there is special.

Other grass court winners this season include Elise Mertens ('S-Hertogenbosch--her first grass title), Tatjana Maria (in an absolutely stunning run at Queen's Club), McCartney Kessler (Nottingham), Jessica Pegula (Bad Homburg), and Maya Joint (Eastbourne). Berlin, Queen's Club and Bad Homburg are all WTA 500 tournaments. 

Notable during Wimbledon qualifying was Canadian player Carson Branstine, who defeated both French Open breakout star Lois Boisson and Bianca Andreescu. But the tennis gods never tire of performing their tricks. Branstine's first round opponent?--world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka,

Other first round matches of interest:

Marketa Vondrousova v. McCarney Kessler (32)--The former champion (and now the Berlin champion) will face the Nottingham champion.

Katerina Siniakova v. Zheng Qinwen (5)--Zheng is the clear favorite, but Siniakova, an elite doubles player, knows her way around a grass court--and she's Czech.

Barbora Krejcikova (17) v. Alexandra Eala--The Eastbourne runner-up probably isn't the player Krejickova wants to face in the first round (I doubt that anyone wants to face her in the first round.)

Petra Kvitova (wc) v. Emma Navarro (10)--This isn't an easy first round draw for Kvitova; it should be interesting to watch.

Karolina Muchova (15) v. Wang Xinyu--Wang's grass breakout occurred in Berlin, where she defeated Daria Kasatkina, 2nd seed Coco Gauff, Paula Badosa (via retirement), and Liudmila Samsonova. She was stopped by Vondrousova in the final, but it was quite a run, and Wang exhibited a number of impressive moves and shots. She'll have her work cut out for her with Muchova, the current queen of impressive moves and shots.

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Sunday, June 8, 2025

My French Open top 10

Here are my top 10 French Open occurences, in ascending order:

10. The less things change, the more they stay the same: Tournament director Amelie Mauresmo tried to explain why no women are scheduled for night matches, and to assure everyone concerned that the tournament isn't really delivering the message that so many people are getting. Time, she said, is a factor--the matches need to go for a long time. And while it's true that women play the best of three and men play the best of five--two back-to-back women's matches would solve that problem. Also, many men's matches last only three sets. Ons Jabeur responded, and when she did, others followed her. 

9. Gone so soon: Emma Navarro, Beatriz Haddad Maia, Elise Mertens, 2021 champion Barbora Krejcikova, Karolina Muchova, Marta Kostyuk--they were all defeated in the first round. Krejcikova and Muchova were both coming back from injury/illness, so those exits--though very sad--weren't surprising. In the second round, we lost Danielle Collins, Donna Vekic and Diana Shnaider. 

8. With a Fighting Italian behind you, you can do anything: Lilli Tagger became the first Austrian to win the junior girls' title, and she did it without dropping a set. Tagger's coach? 2010 champion Francesca Schiavone, of course. 

7. Mixing and matching in Paris: Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori won the mixed doubles championship, and are the first Italian team to do so in 67 years. Errani and Vavassori also won the U.S. Open title in 2024.

6. Kamiji rolls on: Yui Kamiji, the top seed in Paris, won both the wheelchair singles and doubles (with Kgothatso Montjane) titles. Kamiji, for several years, has played the "second best" role to Diede de Groot. De Groot, whose 125 match win streak was broken last year at World Team Cup play, had to undergo surgery and rehab for her hip, and has returned to the tour, but is clearly not yet back to her former level. Kamiji's "second best" is quite impressive, though. This is her fifth French Open singles title, and her fifth French Open doubles title. She has a total of ten major singles titles, and she has achieved a Career Slam in doubles.

5. When the Fight goes out of the Italian: Jasmine Paolini, seeded 4th, stunned the tennis world last year when she reached the finals of both the French Open and Wimbledon. Just before she arrived in Paris, Paolini won both the singles and doubles titles in Rome, and then made it through the first three rounds at Roland Garros without dropping a set.

Then something happened: In the round of 16, Paolini played Elina Svitolina, who is always a threat, to be sure. But Paolini took the first set 6-4, then went up 4-1 in the second. She then went up 5-3. At 5-4, she held two match points. Svitolina saved those, then forced a tiebreak, which Paolini led 6-5, thereby holding a third match point. But Svitolina saved that one, too, and went on to win the match. This is to take nothing away from Elina Svitolina, who played at top form and had nerves of steel; she may have won under any circumstance. But Paolini was clearly rattled. Was she exhausted from Rome? Was Svitolina just too much for her? Was it just a bad day? Or all of those things? Only Paolini knows. 

4. The crown is off--for now: Three-time defending champion (and four-time champion) Iga Swiatek, whose name has become synonymous with Roland Garros, wasn't exactly a favorite this year. After all, she hadn't won a title since she won the French Open last year. But she made it past both Elena Rybakina and Elina Svitolina, and she owned a 5-1 record on clay against her semifinal opponent, Aryna Sabalenka. The world number 1, however, defeated Swiatek 7-6(1), 4-6, 6-0, then went on, of course, to reach her first French Open final. 

3. They love Paris every moment: Despite her tense round of 16 loss in singles, Jasmine Paolini wasn't out of the tournament. She and partner Sara Errani, seeded 2nd, won the doubles championship. Errani and Paolini, the 2024 runners-up, also won an Olympic gold medal at Roland Garros last year.

2. Lois! Lois! Lois!: Until last week, only serious fans had heard of Lois Boisson. That all changed when the 22-year-old Frenchwoman, ranked number 361 in the world and holding a wild card, went on an upset tear, the likes of which we haven't seen in a while. Boisson, who serves well, and is a clever competitor and a cool head on the court, went about showing the exit to 24th seed Elise Mertens, Anhelina Kalinina, wild card Elsa Jacquemont, 3rd seed Jessica Pegula, and 6th seed Mirra Andreeva. She was stopped by Coco Gauff in the semifinals, but her run was unforgettable. The French crowd, yelling "Lois! Lois! Lois!," went crazy (which also meant that they were brutal toward her opponents), and now everyone knows her name. Next week, she'll be ranked number 65 in the world.

1. First the Coco, then the champagne: In 2022, an 18-year-old Coco Gauff made it to the final of the French Open, but was defeated in straight sets by Iga Swiatek. Gauff later said that she approached the final without much self-belief, and that she continued to feel bad about her performance. Gauff reached the quarterfinals in 2023 and the semifinals in 2024. In the meantime, she won the U.S. Open in 2023. The Coco Gauff who arrived in Paris this year was ready to take on anybody. Her draw became tougher by the time she reached the round of 16, but she would go on to defeat 30the seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, 7th seed Madison Keys, and the very in-form Frenchwoman, Lois Boisson. In the final, she faced world number 1, Aryna Sabalenka, and--after losing a tense first set in a tiebreak--Gauff went on to win the next two sets, 6-2 and 6-4. 

Coco Gauff has had her ups and downs, like all good players, but she has worked steadily to improve her game, and her mindset is now the mindset of a champion, a reality that was on display throughout the final. 

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Saturday, June 7, 2025

Coco takes Paris--21st Century version

It doesn't happen often that the two top seeds in a major compete in the final, but it did today. Top seed and world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka faced 2nd seed (and 2022 runner-up) Coco Gauff for the title. The wind was strong, with gusts up to 30 mph., and the roof was open. It also rained for a while, but not enough to pause the match.

Wind is probably the last thing that players want to deal with in a big match, and some handle it better than others. Today, it was Gauff who did a better job of managing the elements--and the emotions. It isn't my (or anyone's) place to judge who had what emotions and how intense they were, but Gauff had let it be known that her error-filled, straight-set loss to Iga Swiatek in 2022 (Swiatek also beat her in last year's semifinals) had stayed with her. Gauff was only 18 then, and the subsequent three years have made a difference. Not only is she a better player and more sure of herself--she also came to Paris as a player who had already won a major (the 2023 U.S. Open). 

The first set of today's final included eight breaks of serve as the players struggled to deal with the wind. Sabalenka went up 40, 40-love rather quickly, but Gauff maneuvered her way back. The tenth game contained six deuces, and Gauff won it on her fifth break point. Sabalenka served twice for the set but was unable to close. The set, not surprisingly, went to a tiebreak, which Gauff led--until she didn't. Sabalenka committed 32 unforced errors in the set, yet managed to win the tiebreak, 7-5.

Gauff began the second set with a break, and then held at love. She then went up a double break, while her opponent began to resemble the Aryna Sabalenka of former years. The world number 1 became flustered by both the wind and by Gauff's smooth running down of balls and steadier hitting. The 2nd seed won that set 6-2.

Gauff finessed her way through the third set without making a single unforced error. She served for it at 5-4, and Sabalenka saved that championship point. but a few moments later, the match was over, and Gauff walked away with a  6-7, 6-2, 6-4 victory. 

Sabalenka made 70 unforced errors in the match, and hit 37 winners; Gauff made 30 unforced errors and hit 30 winners. Gauff's expert footwork and mental strength were on full display throughout the match.

We have other champions, too. Top seed Yui Kamiji won the wheelchair title when she defeated 2nd seed Aniek Van Koot 6-2, 6-2 in the final, and Kamiji and Kgothatso Montjane defeated Li Xiaohui and Wang Ziying 4-6, 7-5, 10-7 to win the title.

In junior competition, Lilli Tagger, who is coached by 2010 champion Francesca Schiavone, became the first girl from Austria to win the championship, and she did so without dropping a set. She defeated Great Britain's Hannah Klugman 6-2, 6-0. In doubles, Eva Bennemann and Sonja  Zhenikhova upset 3rd seeds Alena Kovackova and Jana Kovackova 4-6, 6-4, 10-8 in the final.

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Thursday, June 5, 2025

It wasn't meant to be--parts 1 and 2

She had a tough draw--Emma Raducanu, Jaqueline Cristian, 12th seed Elena Rybakina, 13th seed Elina Svitolina--and throughout the first several rounds, four-time champion and three-time defending champion Iga Swiatek looked good. Cristian was tricky, and Rybakina looked like she was going to run away with their round of 16 match. Yet the 5th seed managed to turn on a switch that allowed her to defeat the former Wimbledon champion in three sets. Then there was Svitolina, who was coming off an edge-of-the-cliff upset over 4th seed Jasmine Paolini, and was an obvious danger. But Swiatek got through that challenge, too. 

Then she hit the wall that is Aryna Sabalenka. Sabalenka, who had never before played Swiatek at Roland Garros, and who was 1-5 against her on clay, arrived on Court Philippe-Chatrier today without having dropped a set throughout the tournament. It was raining in Paris, so the roof was closed. Within ten minutes, Sabalenka was up a double break. It appeared that the world number 1 was hitting her forehand even harder than usual--and she was. Swiatek, having finally figured out that she had to stand back in order to deal with Rybakina's hard hitting, stood back for Sabalenka, got the breaks back, and maneuvered her way to a tiebreak. But the tiebreak resembled the beginning of the set, with Sabalenka overpowering her opponent 7-1.

In the second set, the world number 5 looked like--herself. Her expert movement was on display, and she made risky shots look like a day on the practice court. The rallies were fast, the hitting was flat, and Swiatek took the set 6-4.

I'm sure that I wasn't the only one who thought: This third set is going to be something else. It was, but not in the way I expected. Sabalenka made no unforced errors, and did what no one does to the bagel queen--she won the set 6-0. Swiatek struggled at this tournament, but she was also able to do some good problem-solving and win five straight matches against good opponents. But her Roland Garros 26-match win streak was broken, and in dramatic fashion.

In the second semifinal match, 2nd seed Coco Gauff faced off against the star of the 2025 French Open, wild card Lois Boisson. Boisson had delivered so many shock results that it no longer seemed prudent to assume that she would lose. All the same, competing against the Coco Gauff that we've been watching in Paris was nothing to be taken lightly. Commentators remarked that Boisson looked tired--and she did--but, to me, she looked even more fatigued in her quarterfinal match against Mirra Andreeva. At any rate, it was clear, early on, that the Frenchwoman had only so much left to give.

Gauff was as on her game as ever, breaking her opponent six times, and saving four out of five break points against her. She defeated Boisson 6-1, 6-2. After the match, Boisson said that she was unable to play her game today: "She was just too good." Gauff, the 2022 French Open runner-up, is 5-5 against Sabalenka, and 1-1 against her on clay. They have never before played each other at the French Open.

Paths to the final:

ARYNA SABALENKA (1)
round 1--def. Kamilla Rakhimova
round 2--def. Jil Teichmann
round 3--def. Olga Danilovic
round of 16-- def. Amanda Anisimova (16)
quarterfinals--def. Zheng Qinwen (8)
semifinals--def. Iga Swiatek (5) 

COCO GAUFF (2)

round 1--def. Olivia Gadecki
round 2--def. Tereza Valentova
round 3--def. Marie Bouzkova
round of 16--def. Ekaterina Alexandrova (20)
quarterfinals--def. Madison Keys (7)
semifinals--def. Lois Boisson (wc) 

In the meantime, we have a champion! Sara Errani and partner Andrea Vavassori, seeded 3rd, won the mixed double championship today when they defeated 4th seeds Taylor Townsend and Evan King 6-4, 6-2 in the final. Errani and Vavassori are the first Italian team to win the French Open mixed doubles title in 67 years. They also won the 2024 U.S. Open. Errani, who is 38, has also won five major women's doubles titles (all with Roberta Vinci), an Olympic gold medal in doubles (with Jasmine Paolini), and she was the French Open singles runner-up in 2012.

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Wednesday, June 4, 2025

French flair in 2025

Today, in Paris, French wild card Lois Boisson continued her amazing run by upsetting 6th seed Mirra Andreeva and reaching the semifinals of the tournament. Boisson had already caused a great stir by reaching the quarterfinals and upsetting 3rd seed Jessica Pegula. Prior to that, she had defeated Anna Kalinina and 24th seed Elise Mertens. She then had to play another French wild card, Elsa Jacquemot, in the third round, and the fact that they had both made it to the third round was news in itself. 

Boisson was granted a wild card to the French Open last year, but shortly before the tournament began, she injured her left knee, tearing the ACL, and had to undergo surgery. Part of her rehab was using virtual reality, and it appears to have paid off. According to the Roland Garros website, "The neurovisual training included sight tests, catching a ball at short range with one eye obstructed, buzzer reaction tests, even using virtual reality headsets."

"Doing these exercises has greatly improved my reactivity and it now comes naturally," Boisson said of the program.

Boisson made her WTA debut in 2021, playing doubles in Lyon. She has won three ITF singles titles, and she won her first WTA title in Sain-Malo, a WTA 125 tournament. She is ranked number 361 in the world.

Andreeva stunned the tennis world earlier this year by winning Dubai and Indian Wells (back-to-back wins). In Dubai, she knocked out 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova, five-time major champion Iga Swiatek and 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina before defeating Clara Tauson in the final. In Indian Wells, Andreeva defeated world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final.

But today, the Russian star, who is only 18, could not channel her inner Ostapenko. After narrowly losing the first set in an 8-6 tiebreak, she was obviously rattled by the predictably brutal French crowd. To make her situation worse, her opponent didn't appear to be under any pressure--she just went about her business, utilizing an impressive forehand with a lot of spin.

Boisson is the second player in the past 40 years to defeat multiple top 10 players in her first major main draw. (Monica Seles did it in 1999, also at the French Open.)

In today's other semifinal, 2nd seed (and 2022 runner-up) Coco Gauff defeated 7th seed Madison Keys 6-7(8), 6-4, 6-1. Between them, Gauff and Keys made 101 unforced errors and hit 40 winners, most of which came from Keys' racket. But Gauff went about solving problems and expertly covering the court. 

In yesterday's quarterfinal play, top seed Aryna Sabalenka defeated 8th seed Zheng Qinwen 7-6(7), 6-3. Zheng, who won an Olympic gold medal on the Roland Garros courts last year, was a favorite to win the title, but Sabalenka's was too much for her this week.

In the other quarterfinal, four-time champion and 5th seed Iga Swiatek defeated 13th seed Elina Svitolina 6-1, 7-5. Svitolina's run was notable, however, in that she upset 2024 finalist Jasmine Paolini in the round of 16, in a match in which Paolini led for two sets, and in which she held three match points. 

Swiatek and Sabalenka have never played one another at the French Open, but now they will compete for a place in the final. 

Here is the semifinal singles draw:

Aryna Sabalenka (1) vs. Iga Swiatek (5)
Lois Boisson (wc) vs. Coco Gauff (2)

There have also been other big upsets in Paris. One didn't surprise me that much--four-time defending wheelchair champion Diede de Groot (who is seeded 3rd, and it feels strange just to write that) was knocked out in the first round by Li Xiaohui. de Groot is just returning from injury and subsequent surgery, and Li--who ended de Groot's 145-match win streak at the World Team Cup last year--was certainly not the player she wanted to face in her first round. 

The other upset is indeed surprising: The unseeded team of Anna Danilina and Aleks Krunic upset top doubles seeds Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend 7-5, 4-6, 6-2 in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Danilina and Krunic will play another unseeded team--Ulrikke Eikeri and Eri Hozumi. The other semifinal match will feature 4th seeds Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider, who will compete against 2nd seeds Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini.

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Monday, June 2, 2025

In Paris, wild cards and wild goings-on

I doubt that anyone expected two French wild cards to be competing in the third round of the French Open, but that's what happened. Elsa Jacquemont had upset Maria Sakkari and Alycia Parks, and Boisson had upset 24th seed Elise Mertens and Anhelina Kalinina. When they played each other, Boisson emerged the victor, which gave her a slot in the round of 16 against 3rd seed and Charleston champion Jessica Pegula. 

That match went to three sets, and the final game was a almost a sporting event in itself. At 4-5, Pegula held four break points, all of which disappeared, a couple in dramatic fashion. The Frenchwoman clinched it with an impressive forehand shot, and won her biggest match--in her first major competition--3-6, 6-4, 6-4. Ranked number 361 in the world, Boisson is the lowest-ranked woman to reach a major quarterfinal since 2017. The 22-year-old was supposed to have competed last year, but she tore her ACL shortly before the tournament began. What a way to make up for lost time!

The French now have not only a countrywoman in the quarterfinals, but also an "honorary" Frenchwoman in the form of Elina Svitolina (married to Gaeil Monfils), who pulled off a shocking upset against 4th seed and 2024 runner-up Jasmine Paolini. Svitolina was down a set and 1-4, then she was down a set and 3-5, then down a set, 4-5, 15-40. The Ukrainian star saved those two match points, then saved a third match point in a tiebreak. In the third set, Svitolina had a pretty easy time, winning it 6-1. She played well, and her determination was first-rate, but Paolini wilted, presumably from the pressure. I was surprised--Fighting Italians don't generally do that. I had picked Paolini as highly probable to win the whole thing, so file that under What Do I Know?

Those were the most dramatic results, but those weren't the only matches that took fans (and the players) to the edge. Enter defending champion Iga Swiatek, who had to face Elena Rybakina in the round of 16. Swiatek and Rybakina were 4-4 against each other before taking to the court in Paris. Rybakina had won both of their clay court matches, though one of those was won via Swiatek's retirement.

Swiatek has hardly been her best tennis self for the past year, but she has played well at this tournament (which she has won four times). In the round of 16, however, Rybakina, in her no-nonsense (almost) poker-face way, immediately went about dismantling her opponent's game. At 5-0 in the first set, she held a set point, but wasn't able to convert it, and we thereby avoided the hostile takeover of a popular European specialty baked goods company.

Rybakina then immediately went up a break in the second set. Alona Ostapkenko, who has never lost to Swiatek (and who was "scheduled" to meet her again in this round) said, when asked how she always managed to beat the Polish star, replied, "I don't give her any time." Swiatek, like most clay court experts, likes to have some time to set up her shots, and the clay gives her that time. But against big hitters like Ostapenko and Rybakina, time can be a luxury that the four-time French Open champion can't afford. Or at least, a luxuty that she thinks she can't afford. 

As her hopes began to rapidly fade, Swiatek opted to let go of some of her well-known aggression, explore the baseline, and rally with her opponent, thus receiving some precious time. And as things got better for her and she "remembered who she was," the 5th seed was able to throw Rybakina off of her rhythm. The two and half hour match ended with a Swaitek victory--1-6, 6-3, 7-5. 

Zheng Qinwen, for her part, had to work to get past Liudmila Samsonova, whom she eventually defeated, 7-6, 1-6, 6-3. The match lasted two hours and 47 minutes, including an hour-and-a-half first set. In defeating Samsonova, the 2024 Olympic gold medal winner completed a sweep of ten matches on the Roland Garros courts. 

Top seed Aryna Sabalenka defeated Amanda Anisimova 7-5, 6-3. Prior to this event, the U.S. players held a 5-2 record against Sabalenka. Mirra Andreeva defeated former countrywoman Daria Kasatkina 6-3, 7-5, Australian Open champion Madison Keys defeated Hailey Baptiste 6-3, 7-5, and 2022 finalist Coco Gauff defeated Ekaterina Alexadnrova 6-0, 7-5.

Here is the quarterfinal draw:

Aryna Sabalenka (1) vs. Zheng Qinwen (8)
Elina Svitolina (13) vs. Iga Swiatek (5)
Mirra Andreeva (6) vs. Lois Boisson (wc)
Madison Keys (7) vs. Coco Gauff (2)

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Saturday, May 31, 2025

Early exits re-shape the draw at the French Open

Sad as it is, it was rational to expect both 2023 finalist Karolina Muchova and 2021 champion Barbora Krejcikova to make early exits from the French Open. Krejcikova, who was out for six months with a back injury, did make it to the second round. Muchova, however--who had both a recurrence of her long-time chronic wrist injury, as well as an illness--lost in the first round to Alycia Parks. And the other great Czech, Petra Kvitova, back from maternity leave (though she had planned to retire), also went out in the opening round.

For me, having the great Czech players go out early in a major takes some of the fun out of watching the event. (2029 finalist Marketa Vondrousova, who--like Muchova--has been constantly plagued with injuries, lost in the third round to 3rd seed Jessica Pegula.) But they weren't the only ones to leave the tournament earlier than expected. First round exits included 9th seed Emma Navarro, Beatriz Haddad Maia, Elise Mertens, and Rome finalist Peyton Stearns, among other notable competitors. The biggest surprise for me was the first round defeat of Marta Kostyuk, who lost to qualifier Sara Bejlek (from the Czech Republic). Second round play resulted in the defeats of Danielle Collins, Donna Vekic and 11th seed Diana Shnaider.  

The most dramatic match that I saw was the one played between 10th seed Paula Badosa and Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the second round. It as dramatic because Badosa was ill--with a fever. She nevertheless defeated Ruse 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.

Defending (and four-time) champion Iga Swiatek, who hasn't won a tournament since her victory in Paris last year, has won her first three rounds, though, in the second set of her third round match, she got some serious push-back from the talented Jaqueline Cristian. And world number 1 Aryna Sabalenka has yet to drop a set.

Here is the draw for the round of 16:

Aryna Sabalenka (1) vs. Amanda Anisimova (16)
Liudmla Samsonova (19) vs. Zheng Qinwen
Jasmine Paolini (4) vs. Elina Svitolina (13)
Elena Rybakina (12) vs. Iga Swiatek (5)
Mirra Andreeva (6) vs. Daria Kasatkina (17)
Lois Boisson (wc) vs. Jessica Pegula (3)
Madison Keys (7) vs. Hailey Baptiste
Ekaterina Alexandrova (30) vs. Coco Gauff (2)

Boisson is one of two French wild cards who had to compete against one another in the third round. Boisson defeated Elsa Jacquemot 6-3, 0-6, 7-5. 

A lot of eyes are on Zheng Qinwen, who won an Olympic gold medal last year on the Roland Garros courts. Also of interest is the match to be played between Elena Rybakina and Iga Swiatek. I hope to be able to watch that one, and the round of 16 match that I hope I can watch (though so many of those matches are at times that I can't watch them) is the one between 2024 runner-up Jasmine Paolini and Elina Svitolina. Paolini had a tough first round match against Yuan Yue, which probably served as a confidence-builder.  

In doubles, top seeds Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend and 2nd seds Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolin are into the quarterfinals.

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Monday, May 19, 2025

Aging awsomely

This past weekend, world number 4 Jasmine Paolini not only showed (yet again) that she's a true member of the Fighting Italian contingent--she also displayed a particular Fighting Italian characteristic--the power of age. Francesca Schiavone was 30 when she won the French Open, and Flavia Pennetta was 33 when she won the U.S. Open. Those were the only majors they won, though Schiavone was a French Open finalist the year after she won the event. And--while Sara Errani achieved a Career Slam in doubles when she was 27--she won Olympic gold in doubles when she was 34. Billie Jean King Cup specialist Roberta Vinci never won a singles major, but she became a finalist at age 32, and she was 31 when she achieved a Career Slam in doubles.

Paolini, age 29, just became the first Italian woman in 40 years to win the Italian Open, and she won it twice, getting both the singles and the doubles trophies. Last year, when she was 28, she reached the finals of both the French Open and Wimbledon. Prior to that, the spirited Italian player was known more as a hardworking journeywoman on the tour. 

What is it about these Italian players that allows them to carry on through the years, and then--when many other players would be retired or winding down--achieve the top awards in professional tennis?

When writing about Italians, one is tempted to use a food or wine metaphor. Schiavone once said, when speaking about her game: "Is a mix. It's like Capricciosa pizza. I don't give you Margherita, I give you Capricciosa, different kind of ingredient." I did use a kind of wine as a metaphor when describing Maria Sharapova's second French Open victory, and indeed, Sharapova and champagne seem to go together. 

The Fighting Italians, however, are obviously in the red wine camp. When I think of aged, complex Italian wine, Barolo comes to mind. Nebbiolo grapes are fermented in oak for a couple of months. The wine, depending on the variety, is then aged for as long as long as five years, with some of that process occurring in the bottle.  

The Fighting Italians are definitely Borolo Reserva, which requires maximum aging. Borolo is spicy and complex, and if that doesn't describe Schiavone, Pennetta, Errani, Vinci, and Paolini, I don't know what does. Aged in oak: those years grinding in out on the courts, then aged in the bottle--the maturity that comes when you are determined to reach your highest potential, yet you also know not to take everything too seriously. 

Theoretically, the pressure is now on Paolini to defend (and surpass?) her 2024 French Open and Wimbledon runs. I trust the way Italians age, and the way they handle pressure. Paolini has already won more 1000 tournaments than any of the original four, and the season is still young. Sooner or later, she'll be raising another glass--as well she should.

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Monday, May 5, 2025

With fans like these, who needs enemies?

Recently, when discussing Jannik Sinner's drug ban, Serena Williams said, "I can't help but think about Maria Sharapova all this time. I can't help but feel for her." In a related statement, Sam Stosur said: "My point of view used to be very black and white. You get caught, you are done, no matter what. But I have to say, in this instance, where all those things are the facts, like it’s been proven from many, many doctors and people going through this, a player shouldn’t be banned for this, in my opinion, you shouldn’t be now one or two years banned, which is normally what would happen.”

Nice, but what should have come next was a public apology to Sharapova, whom--without having any relevant information--Stosur harshly criticized upon hearing that the Russian star had been suspended. It didn't come.

I have written a lot about WADA, etc., and the gross unfairness shown toward players like Sharapova and Simona Halep. Craig Reedie, who was president of WADA at the time, publicly stated that--because Sharapova made more money than WADA had in its budget--he was glad to see her brought down. That statement alone was grounds for a lawsuit, but Sharapova didn't file one. And both Sharapova and Halep were (and continue to be) trashed by so-called fans who are familiar with either part of the evidence or--in some cases--none at all.

Now the target is world number 2 Iga Swiatek, who is in what some might call a slump. At any rate, something is wrong, and that includes something wrong on clay courts, which Swiatek has dominated for some time. Many observers are certain (because they have supernatural vision and information-gathering powers) that the problem is the Polish star's mental coach. Others are quick to say that the problem is that Swiatek can no longer "use drugs."

I have no idea what the problem is, though it isn't illogical to wonder whether Swiatek's suspension had a profound psychological effect on her. But that, too, is just a guess. Only Swiatek knows what's really bothering her.

Iga Swiatek is an easy target. A rather charming nerd, she prefers Lego construction and map-drawing in the clay to creating TikTok videos (though Aryna Sabalenka has gotten her to do that) and making red carpet appearances. And, according to the hopelessly sexist Jimmy Arias, she's bad for women's tennis because her cap doesn't allow us to see her face ("smile!)". An enthusiastic Swiftie and an avid reader, the world number 2 is intelligent and articulate, but those qualities don't seem to matter much to many who call themselves tennis fans. 

This is also a good time to mention that the Ukranian players are still repeatedly bashed on social media for not shaking hands with the Russian and Belarusian players. So, for the hundredth time, they cannot shake hands for fear of having the resulting photos and videos used as propaganda. Is that really so hard to understand? Apparently, it is.

The WTA's top players--Sabalenka, Swiatek, Pegula, Gauff, Svitolina, etc.--are constantly criticized for being too inconsistent, too disappointing, too rich, too lazy, too fill-in-the-blank. The fact of the matter is that they work very hard all the time, they're under a lot of stress, and they're human. They have to deal with fans, sponsors, their teams, constant travel, intense training, injuries, increasing threats from sports gamblers, and questionable drug accusations and bans. 

I remember once, many years ago, sitting in the stands of a small court in Charleston. A player had a long discussion with the chair umpire about whether a ball was out, and about the examination of the mark on the clay. A man across from me yelled at her to “shut up and play,” To this day, I regret that I didn’t yell back at him, “You’re here for recreation—she’s trying to make a living,” (I cleaned that up.) 

ATP players also get their share of unjust criticism (while getting almost no criticism at all for their sexism and misogyny), but they don't get criticized nearly as much for their appearance, and they don't get threatened with sexual assault and rape (though they do get threatened), nor do they get told on a regular basis that they are inferior athletes because of their gender. 

As I've written before, being a sports fan is a personal thing. We identify with athletes, are inspired by them, and project all manner of our own issues onto them. Sports is a kind of shorthand for the lives we all live--enjoy victory or suffer defeat, play it safe or take risks, keep trying or give up. That involves a lot of drama, and a lot of emotion, and that can be exciting. But with increasing access to misinformation and disinformation, an obvious deficit of critical thinking skills among many people, and no end in sight to sexism and misogyny--the world of women's tennis has become increasingly fraught with falsehoods, hostility and all manner of unpleasantness. 

Fortunately, there's a lot of positive and interesting news to report about women's tennis, and there are several organizations and individuals who report it--and who also report the not-so-positive news in a rational, fact-based way.

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Sunday, April 6, 2025

Jessica Pegula wins her first clay court title in Charleston

Jessica Pegula (photo by Daniel Ward)
 
For the third year in a row, Jessica Pegula reached the semifinals of the Credit One Charleston Open. This time was different, though, in that the world number 4 made it all the way to the final. And she did even better than that--Pegula defeated Sofia Kenin 6-3, 7-5 in the final to claim the championhsip. When the rankings are published tomorrow, Pegula will be the highest-ranked U.S. player. This is her ninth title, and her first title on clay.

 

Jessica Pegula (photo by Daniel Ward)

Pegula, the number 1 seed, took the first set fairly easily, but then wilted a bit. Kenin, as one would expect, took advantage of what appeared to be some fatigue on Pegula's part--Pegula made a run to the Miami final last week and had acknowledged that she was tired--and went up 5-1. But Pegula's reputation as a smart, level-headed tactician served her well. And Kenin, for her part, seemed to implode (not unlike Danielle Collins in her quarterfinal match against Pegula), though, in this case, there was evidence that she may not have been feeling her best physically. Pegula won the next six games, and that was that. 

 

Sofia Kenin (photo by Daniel Ward)
 
 After the match, Pegula confirmed that fatigue was an issue:

"I just got really tired because I think I was like realizing I was going to go to a third; and I was kind of like, oh, I don't know if I can do this again. Like I've done this the last couple matches. Even in Miami, playing a couple tough three sets.

"And I think it's just more emotionally draining than anything, but I think at the same time sometimes I've done it before in the past where once you kind of like accept that you're not trying to fake on it or force it, you're like, okay, I'm tired. How do I figure this out? And I think sometimes when you can kind of relax, take a breath and refocus, that sometimes that can help, and I think it actually did help me today."

Earlier in the day, top seeds Alona Ostapenko and Erin Routliffe won the doubles championship, defeating 3rd seeds Caroline Dolehide and Desirae Krawczyk 6-4, 6-2. Ostapenko hadn't planned to play doubles in Charleston. However, Routliffe found herself without a partner--her regular partner, Gabriela Dabrowski, decided to take a little time off--so she asked Ostapenko to play with her, and Ostapenko happily accepted the invitation.

Erin Routliffe and Alona Ostapenko (photo by Daniel Warsd)


 
Erin Routliffe and Alona Ostapenko (photo by Daniel Ward)

This result made me think of something similar that happened in Charleston in 2013. Lucie Safarova, the defending doubles champion, didn't have a partner. Neither did Kiki Mladenovic, so--right before the tournament began--they entered as a team. (In those days, some of us liked to say that a winning team was "Mladenovic and Anybody"--substitute "Siniakova" today.) Safarova had never played doubles together before; in fact, they had never practiced together. I asked Lucie how she thought they would do, and she gave me a strong "what do you think?" side eye. They won the tournament.

I'm not used to watching the Charleston Open on television. I attend ever year--it's one of my favorite things to do--but this year, I was unable to. It was gratifying to hear both hosts and players at the Tennis Channel desk talk about all the things that make the event so great. 

In addition to having new champions, some other big news came out of Charleston today. First, Credit One has agreed to be the title sponsor through 2031. Also, starting next year, the Charleston Open will offer equal prize money.

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Saturday, April 5, 2025

Top seed Jessica Pegula to face unseeded Sofia Kenin in Charleston final

Sofia Kenin, Jessica Pegula (photos by Daniel Ward)   
 

Today was a windy day on Daniel Island, and Jessica Pegula and Ekaterina Alexandrova, had to make constant adjustments in order to compete effectively in their semifinal. Alexandrova is not an easy opponent for Pegula, who said, after the match: "It's been the same kind of story line in the past when I played her; played good first set, she comes back in the second, and then usually I tend to lose the third. So glad I was able to flip that script today."

Pegula had more nice things to say about her opponent: "She's really good. She's a really good player. I mean, there's a reason she beats a lot of players. She can play at a really high level. Her game is tough to play against, the way she strikes the ball, when she serving well, returning well."

Each player dominated for a set, and the third set was all that spectators could have hoped for. The match, which featured thirteen breaks of serve, lasted two hour and twenty minutes, and, in the end, it was Pegula--known for her consistency--who was the more consistent, defeating Alexandrova 2-6, 6-2, 7-5. 

Ekaterina Alexandrova (photo by Daniel Ward)

This was Pegula's third consecutive Charleston semifinal. In 2023, she lost to eventual runner-up Belinda Bencic (who was also the defending champion), and last year, she lost to Daria Kasatkina, who was also the eventual runner-up.

The other semifinal was, unfortunately, a different story. I was expecting quite a battle between Sofia Kenin and Amanda Anisimova, but after the third game of the first set, Anisimova sustained a right hip injury and had to get treatment. With Kenin leading 5-2 in that set, Anisimova had to retire. 

Sofia Kenin and Amanda Anisimova (photo b Daniel Ward)

The last time that Kenin, who is unseeded, was in a clay court final was in 2020, but it was a big one--the French Open. Kenin won the Australian Open that year, and then had an excellent run in Paris, defeating both Danielle Collins and Petra Kvitova. She fell, however, to Iga Swiatek in the final. Since that time, she has not had the same success on the tour; however, this week in Charleston, Kenin has been playing superb tennis, taking out a resurgent Belinda Bencic, 5th seed Daria Kasatkina, and Anna Kalinskaya. 

Pegula is 3-2 against Kenin. One of Kenin's victories took place in the third round of the 2021 French Open, when Kenin was the defending champion.

Tomorrow will mark the first time in 35 years that two women from the USA meet in the Charleston final; in 1990, Martina Navratilova defeated Jennifer Capriati.

We also have doubles finalists. Top seeds AΔΌona Ostapenko and Erin Routliffe will face off against 3rd seeds Caroline Dolehide and Desirae Krawczyk.

Paths to the final:

JESSICA PEGULA (1)
round 1--bye
round 2--def. Irina Shymanovich
round 3--def. Ajla Tomljanovic
quarterfinals--def. Danielle Collins (7)
semifinals--def. Ekaterina Alexandrova (9)

SOFIA KENIN 
round 1--def. Bernada Pera
round 2--def. Belinda Bencic (17)
round 3--def. Daria Kasatkina (5)
quarterfinals--def. Anna Kalinskaya (24)
semifinals--def. Amanda Anisimova (8) (ret.)

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